Banks rose grows fast, has no thorns, no pests that I'm aware of, and it's really beautiful in spring. The rest of the year it's just green. But I've put one where I need some shade so I'm hoping it will take right off and cover the broken tree (storm damage last year) that used to shade my "shade" garden. My poor plants need relief! I've never noticed fragrance but online sources say they are frangrant. White and yellow are your choices. I prefer the yellow. I love 'em.

Why on earth would your neighbor shear it off? They are so beautiful when they grow naturally. Well...I guess if your trellis is too small. They can grow VERY large. Look at this!

Here is a link that might be useful: Biggest Banks rose

The white one is supposed to have the fragrance of violets although I have not noticed a fragrance. White and yellow are the only colors. Lady Banks gets very large so if you plant it you'll need a very sturdy support. The two places I've seen it grown have pergolas. Eventually the rose forms large trunks with beautiful peeling cinnamon-colored bark.

The first time I ever saw a Lady Banks was in the historic section of "downtown" Carthage. It was my first spring here and I nearly dropped dead, seriously a heart attack right on the spot. It was growing up into an aged oak in the front yard of a old victorian home right in town. The oak had not leafed out yet and it looked at first like a huge yellow flowering tree. Like Alicia said this one had a huge trunk. It was one of the first things I planted here on my property before I understood I could not plant into the sand without amendment. It has survived without amendment though so it must be one tough plant. Adele

I have two Lady Banks (getting ready to bloom now). Yes, they are evergreen here, no thorns. They grow FAST! I just use my cordless B&D HedgeHog trimmer to keep them shaped along the fence. I use my hand pruners to selectively take out wayward canes. If left unchecked, they will grow 25x25, I think.

Here's a photo that I took in January when we had the light snow. That's ONE of the Lady Banks scampering over my garden gate. It was planted in fall 2005.

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Here it is in full bloom on April 12, 2007. If you look at the winter picture, you can see how much the Lady Banks grew between April and January -- to go over the top of the doorway.

I recommend giving one more space than this unless you want to stay on top of the trimming like we do. We didn't want a clinging vine going up our house siding, so we are willing to do the work.

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Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: my gardening blog

There's a thread about the Lady Banks rose on the Antique Roses forum: Lady Banks Rose

I have several yellow and was told that is the only color it comes in. I would love to swap cutting with someone with white and/or pink. Please drop me an email and do it.
Thanks.

When I was young, a neighbor had one of these climbing a pine tree. It was huge and filled the neighborhood with fragrance. I walked by it every morning on the way to the bus stop and loved the smell. I have spent many years now sniffing Lady Banks blooms in nurseries and have yet to find one so fragrant. Internet research sometimes says these are fragrant and sometimes says they are NOT fragrant. Does anyone know why the ones in the nurseries do not smell? Does the fragrance only happen in mature plants?

Lady Banks roses are white or yellow. No other colors - no pink. The yellow ones have little scent and the white ones do smell like violets, but the scent is subtle. Beware the purple lady banks you sometimes see in garden centers. This is another rose altogether. Denise